Now Radio Pakistan in dire straits
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), commonly known Radio Pakistan, is facing severe financial crunch due to which its over 3,000 employees and artists all over the country are facing problems.
Permanent employees of the corporation have not been paid the 15 per cent salary increase announced in the federal budget 2011-12, while contractual and daily-wage workers wait for their salaries for the last two months, Dawn has learnt.
Some of the employees while requesting not to be named said the management of the corporation had been telling them that the ministry of finance had not released the funds needed to pay them the 15 per cent raise. Besides, artists performing in different transmissions have also not been paid for the last one month.
A daily wage employee said “In Urdu unit there are 35 employees out of whom three are regular and the remaining daily wagers. Same is the case in the units of different languages like Punjabi, Seraiki, Balochi, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Balti and Hindi.”
Those employees who have good relation with the officers of the accounts section get their cheques on time while have to wait for months, another employee alleged.A news editor, who is permanent employee, said regular employees were also upset because no one was sure when their problems would be resolved. He said the management should resolve the issue before employees start protest for their rights.
An artist said usually they earned Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 per month but still the management did not give them their dues on time. Due to this, most of the artists want to leave the corporation.
Another daily wager said according to rules they cannot work for more than 26 days a month but usually they worked for 15 to 20 days. If a person works for 26 days, he gets about Rs15,000, he added.
When contacted, Station Director PBC Islamabad Abdul Hafeez said most of the corporations in the country were facing financial problems. Though 15 per cent pay increase was announced in the budget 2011-12, the ministry of finance has not released the needed funds. He expressed the hope that the problem would be resolved as the management was in touch with the ministry.
Source: DAWN
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